Put Down the Cross; Someone Else Needs the Wood!

Martyrdom is very popular with old souls. And really, who can blame them.

It is one of the most celebrated archetypes in history and one that rarely gets criticized because at the end of the day, who doesn’t like to have a self-sacrificial person around them willing to pick up the slack?

It is nice to be loved and wanted on this planet especially since the percentage of pain caused by isolation and rejection runs fairly high. So yes, let’s sign up for martyrdom. Add a few centuries of religious dogma that instructs us that it is better to give than to receive plus a bleeding heart complex where the internal need to help can only be satisfied if we assist to carry our fellow traveler’s pain and suffering. And voilá, you have a perfect concoction of being weighed down by the burden of so many crosses, that you have lost count.

Now, if this resonates for you, let me ask you this:

Aren’t you tired yet?

Have you started feeling resentful and underappreciated?

Do you feel heavy, sluggish and tired?

Is it hard to get out of bed in the morning?

Do you feel like you are trapped in a version of spiritual “Groundhog Day”?

Have you come to the conclusion that martyrdom isn’t as cool as it used to be?

Are you annoyed that the people around you have stopped evolving and keep coming to you with the same issues?

Have you finally reached the point where you feel that self deserves a vacation?

If you’ve answered yes to any or all of the above questions, it might be time to put down the cross(es) and leave the classroom of martyrdom behind. It was fun while it lasted but on your journey to enlightenment, there are other classrooms to enter.

Let’s aim for a more balanced life where you teach people how to fish instead of feeding them fish. You won’t turn into a self-centered, greedy person; you will just refuse to carry other’s burdens. The good news is two fold.

You will feel lighter plus you’ll have the time and energy to focus on your own homework and you will learn to lead by example.

You will force the people around you to learn their own lessons, which will allow them to be more independent.

So, are you ready?

If so, meditate and envision yourself surrendering all the burdens and crosses you have been carrying to Divine Source. Let them be transmuted by the Violet Transmuting Flame. Repeat until they are all gone. And of course, be free to improvise and add your own techniques.

Martyrdom can be addictive. Depending on your level of attachment you might have to work through a twelve step program and join MA (Martyrs Anonymous ;-)).

The biggest pitfalls I noticed in my own journey were:

a) I didn’t know what to do with the freed up energy and I had to redirect it first before I felt inclined to carry other people’s stuff again.

b) I felt guilty for feeling well while others were still suffering. In the meantime, I have gained the awareness that I can actually be of greater assistance when I am healthy and doing well.

You may or may not be ready to change this aspect of yourself. My advice:

Quit while you are ahead. Sooner or later one does become resentful for having to suffer for other soul’s karma and in the big picture that is not the way it is meant to be!

So, put down the cross and remember nothing is ever lost, so be sure the wood will be recycled and end up somewhere as a beautiful antique or a nice warming bonfire and you will be free to join in the dance of life once again.

Stop Being A Psychic Sponge!

I am one of these people who thrive in harmonious, calm, peaceful environments.

Tension, conflict, tantrums and noise are extremely uncomfortable for me.

One of my past behavior patterns was to energetically absorb the 'negative' energies around me, in hope to harmonize the space. (That of course doesn't always work, but hey, you can't blame someone for trying, right?)

This post is dedicated to all the psychic sponges out there.

The two questions I would like to address are the following:

1.How do you recognize if you are one?           

2.If you are one, how do you stop? (If you are ready to do so!)

First of all, here is a list of some of the symptoms and character dispositions you might have/experience if you are a psychic sponge:

a) You personally feel responsible for everyone's mood and circumstances.

b) Your muscles tense up when there is tension in the air.

c) You stop breathing regularly when you are around conflict.

d) Your anxiety meter goes through the roof if one of your loved ones is out of sorts.

e) You drop whatever you were doing to remedy a situation.

f) You arrive somewhere feeling happy and light, conflict erupts  (even if it has nothing to do with you), and within minutes you feel heavy, dense and immersed in the situation.

g) You are more concerned about other people's wellbeing than your own. (" I am only relaxed and happy, if everyone else around me is.")

h) You feel guilty, if you can't fix it.

i) Long term physical and emotional effects of psychic sponging can include:

-Weight gain, indigestion and stomach problems, migraine headaches, chronic fatigue, depression and anxiety

j) You rather suffer yourself than witness other's suffering.

k) You are only relaxed by yourself, or in extremely shielded environments

 These are some possible symptoms and if indeed you are a psychic sponge, I am sure, you won't have a hard time adding some additional items to the list.

So the question is how do you stop?

Here are some pointers:

a) Learn to protect yourself, so that the energies in your environment don't have such an impact on you. There are a number of ways how to go about doing this; ask your angels and Divine Source/God to surround you with a bubble of white light, in order to deflect any negative energy. Practice chakra meditation so you strengthen your vertical vs. horizontal alignment in order to be less affected by the karmic/energetic impact of other souls on your reality.

b) Allow other souls to learn their own lessons, they have a right to be upset and to indulge in drama, you have the choice not to engage and in certain cases not to be around them. You absorbing the negative energies won't make them learn their lessons quicker, it is more like taking homework away from a first grader. They actually might feel resentful towards you because you took away the opportunity to get the lesson. Any lesson that is meant to be will be recreated which means you only delayed the process for them.

c) Ask yourself, what do I need to support myself in this situation?

A popular example is to learn to put the oxygen mask in the plane on yourself first, before you help the people around you.

One of the constant reminders for me is that other people's choices don't fall under my jurisdiction, it is my responsibility to take care of myself and sometimes that means walking away.

It has taken me a number of years to quit psychic 'spongedom', so please have patience with yourself in the process.

And of course quitting doesn't mean you won't assist other people anymore. You will actually be able to help them without hurting yourself and in a much more productive way, because you'll have more clarity as to when to help and when to step back.

My life has certainly been more relaxed since I have learned not to absorb all the energetic toxicity.

By the way, I still don't like conflict and drama, but at least now I am not as easily affected by it.

Modern Day Vampires- They Are After Your Energy, Not Your Blood!

The legend of vampires is ancient and many people might look at it as a myth. Yet there are many ancient myths that carry truth and concepts into our modern day world, vampires just being one of them.
If you look at the image of one being preying on another to survive, you can see that the idea of vampirism isn't too far fetched. The specific kind I want to address is the one that preys on your energy body.

A lot of the time, our modern day vampires are very charming, entertaining, they might be good listeners. On the flip side, the less pleasant version might be a bit more manipulative, provoking you to feel guilty or selfish, if you don't share the goods (your energy). And then there is the silent type; the person at the supermarket, or the party that takes your energy without you ever noticing their existence. Like a thief, as sneaky as a pick-pocked they walk off with part of your belongings.

The way you will know that you got robbed is usually an inexplicable sudden dip in your energy. You were fine walking into the meeting and two hours later you are utterly exhausted, even though you had a pleasant time.
At some point, you might feel burdened by a relationship but the other person has always been so nice to you, that it makes you feel guilty even admitting it to yourself.
Some people respond with anger towards energetic vampires. (Also read post 'The Gauges') You might look like you are being difficult and unfair towards that person, but really listen to the message the anger or annoyance is communicating to you.

The good news is that:
a) you can get your energy back, if you notice that it got stolen and
b)you can work on your energetic protection so that vampires can't plug into your field.

How do you do that?
By asking for it. You may or may not be aware that the divine forces are only allowed to intervene, if we ask for help, unless it is an emergency.
As soon as you realize that some of your energy has been stolen, you ask for it back.

Who do you ask?
You put out your request/prayer to Divine Source/God and any Angel or Master you are working with and you ask for all of your truthful energy to be returned to you in all time and all space healed, transformed and purified (you don't want your laundry back dirty, do you? Who knows where it has been!)
The same way you would request protection in all time and all space. I usually visualize a bubble of white light around me where and vampire will get zapped, if they try to steal anything (why not teach a little lesson, while we are at it?).

Two pointers:
1. If you get robbed of energy even though you had your protection in place, ask yourself where your crack was. Usually you will find yourself having some pity, guilt or anger towards that person who undermined your result not to feed them anymore.
2. Have compassion for the vampires. Even though their actions towards you aren't very nice, remember that the soul's that choose to steal from others, usually feel very depleted and have lost their own connection to Divine Life Force, therefore feeling like they have to take from others. After protecting myself and getting my own energies back, I usually pray for their healing so they might put their vampire ways to rest.

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